Seattle Mariners Skipper Praises Two Players on Roster Bubble After Big Game
PEORIA, Ariz .-- The Seattle Mariners beat the Arizona Diamondbacks, 11-5, on Sunday afternoon at the Peoria Sports Complex. For the M's, it was their first win of the Cactus League season (1-2).
The Mariners were buoyed by a six-run second inning, which included lots of hard contact, including a two-RBI double by Tyler Locklear and a double off the bat of Ryan Bliss.
Austin Shenton (2-for-2, double) and Dom Canzone (2-for-3, 2B) also excelled in this one as the M's pounded out 17 hits in total.
Speaking after the game, Mariners manager Dan Wilson was asked about Shenton in particular, while adding in some praise for Canzone.
Yeah, he (Shenton) got an opportunity to swing the bat today and hit the ball hard to right field. I thought he looked good, and, like you mentioned, the hustle double putting it on there with his legs. I thought Dom Canzone was another guy, left-handed, that swung the bat very well today. A lot of good at bats, a lot of hard contact to right field. So, a good day, like I said, all around offensively.
One last piece of audio for the day:
— Brady Farkas (@RefuseToLosePod) February 24, 2025
I asked Dan Wilson about Austin Shenton (2-for-2, 2B) today, and he praised Shenton, while also praising Dom Canzone (2-for-3, 2B).#TridentsUp pic.twitter.com/Ty3WboQAcV
Though he's had a problem with strikeouts in his career, Shenton did hit 20 homers last season at Triple-A Durham. He hit 29 minor league homers in 2023. He made his major league debut in 2024, playing in 19 games for the Rays.
Shenton hit .214. The Mariners acquired him this past offseason after the Rays designated him for assignment. He's trying to make the roster as one of the utility infielders.
The 27-year-old Canzone made his debut in 2023 with the Arizona Diamondbacks before getting traded to the Mariners in the deal that sent Paul Sewald to the desert. He made the Opening Day roster for the M's in 2024, but got just 168 at-bats as a result of his low output.
He hit .196 for the season with eight homers and 17 RBI. He has serious power that the Mariners will hope to continue to tap into, but they need him to be more consistent and make better swing decisions. He struck out 53 times in just 67 big-league games. Hopefully some time around Edgar Martinez and Kevin Seitzer will improve that rate.
Perhaps Sunday's performance was a start.
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